Traveling Together
Planning the trip to Next is one the best parts of the whole conference experience. The shared excitement and anticipation of great things on the way up and the tired, reflective ride back provides excellent fodder for creating memories and building community. Next is still a moth away, so here's a few things to start thinking about now while making your travel plans to make the most of your conference traveling:
Step outside of yourself. Sit next someone in your group you don’t know well. Ask silly and serious questions. Make some discoveries. Your iPod will always be there. Opportunities to strengthen relationships will not.
Be aware. Unintentional eavesdropping is a corollary to mass transit, so why not make your conversation worth listening to? There will be lots of ears nearby who don’t know Jesus and your speech is an excellent way to introduce Him. Make the most of the air time you have.
Come prepared to wait. Need some ideas for time-passing activities? Bring a few decks of cards. Play multi-row Telephone Pictionary. One of my favorite travel activity inspiration is 52 Things to Do on an Airplane is a great resource. Even though it’s originally intended for families with small children, it was a lifesaver during a 6-hour-stuck-in-a-plane-sitting-on-the-tarmac traveling experience.
Bring headphone splitters for three. Sometimes movie quotes are just as effective as theological quotes for fellowship. Besides, your MacGyver episodes will be way better if shared across the whole row.
Consider alternate modes of travel. Do something out of the ordinary. Throw a little extra adventure into your trek. For example, trains are awesome. I’ve been a train traveler since I was a wee one and it’s still my favorite means of transportation. It’s really relaxing and the scenery is beautiful. Deep conversations are compliment the laid-back pace.
Taking an extra day before or after to explore and enjoy. Last year my brother and I spent a little extra time after the conference to walk around Louisville and enjoy the restaurants without the lines and time crunch. It was wonderful to enjoy his company without having to worry about rushing to the next session.
Page 1 of 1 pages
For me, the trip has always been the highlight of my NA experience. Stick 6-8 people in a car or 40+ people on a bus for 8 or so hours and conversation opens in directions you would not believe. I’ve made some really awesome friendships or deepened others on those long trips, especially on the way home….when everyone is really tired and is trying to apply over 10 hours of theology! One way to prepare for this is to sleep before getting in your vehicle of choice—especially if you’re the driver!
Two years ago i did a solo road trip from So Cal to Louisville for the New Attitude Conference. Two friends met me at the conference and then we road tripped back to So Cal. It was great to have some time alone with the Lord as well as time to reflect on what we learned as we traveled home.